good morning, everyone. i'm randi kaye. it is 7:00 on the east coast, 4:00 a.m. on the west. thanks so much for starting your morning with us. a deadly attack in afghanistan has left five people dead and at least 18 others wounded and the taliban is claiming responsibility. it happened here at a joint u.s. afghan base near the airfield. there are no reports yet of u.s. casualties. joining me by phone is journalist ben farmer. ben, this attack involves suicide bombs and gunmen. can you tell us exactly how things unfolded? >> yes, it seems to have been a very complex attack. it began soon after dawn around 6:00 here local time. it began with two suicide car bombs. these were vehicles packed with explosives, driven at the gates of the airfield base, and they detona detonated. soon after that, a wave of

attackers with rifles and suicide vests stormed the gates. this prompted a two-hour gun battle. it was all over in about two hours. nato says none of the attackers, none of the militants managed to breach the defenses. all of them were killed. however, we have reports that four or five afghan security guards were killed and two civilians, two medical students who were on their way to their studies were caught in the cross fire and also killed. >> just a few months ago, ben, nato said insurgent attacks were on the decline. is there some concern this might inspire copy cats? >> i think to some extent there's a battle of statistics going on here. while nato have said in some months insur yent attacks are down, in other months they've

been up. it's certainly the case there is still a lot of violence here. i think this attack shows that the taliban can still mount these sort of attacks. there are even these sophisticated attacks which appear to take a lot of planning. it seems that the taliban are still here and resilient and able to launch these sort of attacks. >> ben farmer, thank you very much. the kansas city chiefs will play the carolina panthers today. the team decided not to reschedule today's game after linebacker jovan belcher shot his girlfriend yesterday and killed himself in front of the team's coach and general manager. back in belcher's hometown in long island, new york, neighborhood of best babylon. his neighbors remember the boy who grew up to make good in the nfl. >> family man, a loving person, and that's somebody that you would want to keep around as a role model. >> he was somebody to look up to

around here that, you know, made it. >> the kansas city chiefs released a statement following belcher's death. it reads in part, the entire chiefs family is deeply saddened by today's events and our collective hearts are heavy with sympathy. thoughts and prayers for the family and friends affected by this unthinkable tragedy. we'll continue to fully cooperate with with the authorities and work to ensure that the appropriate counseling resources are available. the supreme court could decide this week whether to take up the controversial issue of same-sex marriage. the nine justices met behind closed doors on friday but took no action. the high court could act tomorrow when it's scheduled to release orders or the justices may choose to discuss the divisive issue when they meet for another scheduled conference on friday. and then there were two. this weekend alabama rolled over the georgia bulldogs 32-28 to earn a spot against undefeated notre dame for the coveted bcs title. the crimson tide are looking to

win back-to-back titles and their third title in four years, which would be an unprecedented achievement. we'll see if they do it. ter five years, david beckham is hanging up his american soccer jersey. the british soccer superstar played his final major league soccer game last night and even managed to go home on a high note. the los angeles galaxy beat the houston dynamo to win the mls cup. after the game, beckham reflected on his time in the states and the impact he's on on the sport. >> i just hope people have enjoyed me playing here and watching me play for the galaxy. it's what i always hope for when i, you know, step on the field, that people enjoy watching myself and watching the team play and the team that i play for, you know. i spoke about it during the week again that, you know, my impact will be down to what people decide, other people. you know, i think i've had a successful time here, but it's up to other people to decide

that. >> beckham hasn't announced where he'll go next, but the soccer star says he's not ready to leave the sport just yet. nasa finds ice in a pretty unexpected place. sun-scorched mercury. yes, the closest planet to the sun. what's going on with that? i'll ask a scientist what it means in our hunt for life in outer space. plus, famed actor and humanitarian angelina jolie speaks backing a move by the u.k. in war-torn syria. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults.

cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer.

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mercury, right? r it hit has p it hasi extreme temperatures. >> it's probably motte true fo mercury. p we don't know where life live. we'p we'we've discovered o life can live in every environmeenvironment that's oc earth. the most extreme environments. it's not the best place to look for life. in fact, there is water. in fact, the water is located in deep craters, near the north pole. mercury kind of orbits with very little tilt. near the north pole with the deep craters, it never gets subject. that's why it's so cold. but much of the water is covered by a thin layer of organic material. >> all right. i think we're having a little trouble hearing lawrence there. we'll try and get him back because it is a really interesting discussion. we'll work on that.

his resume includes two academy awards, five golden globes, and an emmy. now dustin hoffman will be able to add a new honor to that impressive list. we'll tell you what it is. first, if you're looking for a getaway, think springtime in paris. that's where we find our this week's travel insider. >> reporter: i lived in paris during college, so going back always brings back memories. one of my favorite things to do, then and now, sit outside and sip espresso or a glass of wine at a cafe. the french invented the concept. cafe de flore is my pick. if you've never been to paris, take an afternoon on a sunny day and ride these large sight-seeing boats, that are open air and allow you to see the entire city by sea. for the arts, this museum which

houses spectacular murals by monet. for shopping, head to the madison avenue of paris. then grab your walking shoes and head to the champs-elysees. it's a great way to work off a meal. speaking of food, don't forget to buy a real baguette sandwich or a crepe on the street. soon, you'll feel like a native. cnn, paris.

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we want to continue our conversation we started before the break with lawrence krauss, a theoretical physicist. we're talking about ice being found on mercury. glad you're back with us.

according to nasa, there could be as much as 1 million metric tons of ice on the planet. why should this matter to us? >> well, it's, of course, a big surprise. although, some people thought there might be ice in the deep craters on mercury. mercury has very little tilt, unlike the earth, which is tilted. that means that the north pole is essentially never pointing towards the sun. if the deep craters get near the north pole, those never get sunlight. in fact, that's where the ice is found. the other interesting thing is the the ice is covered by a little layer of organic material. that's probably because the ice was probably delivered by comets, the same way the water on earth was probably delivered to earth. that makes it interesting because you have water and organic material. it's not the best place to look for life. you wouldn't want to choose mercury over any other place. what it means is even the most extreme environment in the solar system, mercury, which goes from this incredible heat to this incredible cold, has water and organic material.

it means that as we look for life in the universe, even in the most extreme environments we may find the basic building blocks. >> so does this ice on mercury actually change, you know, what we know and what we think about for the formation of the rocky planets? >> it means our supposition about what might be possible are there. basically, anything that's possible happens. i think, you know, it's not a huge surprise that there's water there, but i think many people thought, well, it's still so close to the sun that perhaps there aren't places that are hidden from the sunlight, but there are. as i say, that really means the extremes in our solar system are still more interesting in looking for life or different conditions than we would have imagined. i think the fact that there's water on mercury tells us that when we look for life in our solar system and more importantly perhaps in other planets in the universe, other extreme environments, we should not throw our hands up and say we don't see anything just like

earth before we look for life. >> it's so interesting. i think pretty exciting as well. lawrence, thank you so much for coming on this morning. >> okay. sorry we couldn't get the video earlier. >> oh, that's okay. we're grad we got you back. >> nice talking to you. it's a big night for seven artists set to receive the 35th annual kennedy center honors in washington. they represent some of the biggest names and most influential contributors to the stage and screen. here's a look at what's in store for them tonight. >> reporter: randi, the kennedy center says there's one primary criteria for picking an honoree. excellence. easy to say, more difficult to define. there's no set category for the honorees. this year, they bring comedy, music, dancing, and acting to a highly regarded stage. the kennedy center honors are a bit like washington's oscars. red carpet out front, president and plmrs. obama inside to gree seven very different artists. >> it's very rare to see led

zeppelin songs being sung at the same time as david letterman jokes are being told. it's going to be a great show. >> reporter: this will be bob dickinson's 20th kennedy center honor show. he said there's imagine nick the room. three surviving members of led zeppelin are included. this was their concert in 2007. john paul jones, jimmy page, and robert plant. their songs are as epic as their more than 100 million records sold in the u.s. it's one kind of electric performance. this is another. the russian-born prima ballerina danced with the royal ballet. she performed during the kennedy center honors in 1981. now others will perform for her. >> chicago, thank you very much.

i'll never leave. >> blues man buddy guy got a sendsoff for the honors. he went on to win six grammy awards. honoree dustin hoffman said when he grew up, movie stars didn't look like he did. more than 50 films later, he has two best actor oscars. honoree david letterman has more than 5,000 television broadcasts under his belt. he's being recognized for finding the humor in anything, even winning it honor. he talked about it on "the late show." >> when i stopped laughing, i was very excited. i'll tell you, because this is great for my family. they think i'm working at a jiffy lube in mexico. >> why not? >> reporter: people who cover the honors say there's more than comic relief at play. it's a break from partisan politics. >> at this moment when we're all tired from the election, you can

see a break in the action. that adds to the momentousness of the evening. >> reporter: david letterman joked on his show that kennedy center honorees also receive an adjustable mattress and a new car. it was just a punch line, but they do get something else, a chance to nominate potential future honorees. randi. >> emily, thank you very much. well, it's almost here. our live broadcast of cnn heros. it's our annual salute to those who make life better for those in need. here's gloria estefan. take a look. >> i love cnn heroes because people are used to seeing celebs on tv, politicians on tv. the people we should celebrate are the people out there doing things that help other human beings. >> tonight you're going to meet

real super men and super women from across the globe. >> so shining the light on these heroes that do amazing things helps all of us say, i can do it too. st. jude, it's really an amazing place. the incredible research they do, they make it a soothing place for both the family and the child. they bring kids from all over. it's not just the united states. it's important when someone is in recovery or facing a tough battle that their spirit and mind be taken care of. believe me, i've been there. estefan's back was broken during a collision. >> when i was coming back from that bus accident 22 years ago, my husband pulled me back into my song writing and music. that allowed me to flourish and grow even that much quicker.

in my own life, i don't think there's anything more satisfying than helping out another human being. i'm very happy that cnn heroes is doing what they're doing. when you see these people that are sacrificing themselves for others, to me that's a hero. every step of the way. >> and tonight, be sure to catch the "cnn heroes" preshow special. after that at 9:00, the main event, "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute." it all happens tonight right here on cnn. two years ago, the people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else.

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let's get you caught up on what's happening in syria now at 27 minutes past the hour. rebels say the internet is back up and run after syria plunged into a technological black hole. government and opposition blame each other for the outrage. as fighting continues to rage, we continue to get new pictures out of the country in this amateur video. you can see families running as shells fall. opposition activists say more than 42,000 people have been killed since march last year. hollywood star angelina jolie is speaking out about victims of the crisis in syria. she spoke to channel 4 news in london about war, the victims of rape and what refugees are telling her. >> you meet the people the moment they cross, and they immediately want to start talking. they want to know what's happening to their future. they want to participate. they want to put on record what's going on in the country. they want things not to be missed. they want know that one day they'll be able to go home and

there will be accountability. an attack on dionism. that's how benjamin netanyahu describes the upgrade to the palestinian authority to non-member observer state. netanyahu stays the move viemts agreements signed with the state of israel. they need only the majority of the u.n. members to approve. and in the u.s., the kansas city chiefs will play today, despite a personal tragedy for the team. chiefs linebacker eer jovan be shot and killed his girlfriend yesterday before heading to the practice facility where he turned the gun on himself in front of the coach and general manager. more top stories at the top of the hour when "cnn sunday morning" continues. see you then. sanjay gupta m.d. begins right now. hey, there. thanks for being with us. this weekend we're marking world a.i.d.s. day. i'm going to look at a tough

issue that might surprise you. question is this, if someone has sex with a partner and doesn't tell them they have hiv, should they be punished? and if so, how? >> plus, a new food trend. i promise you this is healthy. the question is, would you really want a bite of this? first, more than 7 million americans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, ptsd. the nightmares, flashback, anxiety, it can be debilitating to the point where a normal life is simply impossible. at least half those who suffer are not helped by any of the existing therapies. but there's been some new emerging research pointing in a surprising direction. it has to do with a drug that most people simply know as ecstasy. >> some part of me was on guard. it just wouldn't stop. i couldn't shut it down. >> for rachel hope, the mental agony began in childhood when she says she was abused and raped at age 4. as a